Love and Money
by Elfian Aqua
Summary: The charade finally comes to a close, resulting in one broken heart and one lost job.


Disclaimer: I do not own the Sonic characters.

* * *

Love and Money

Tails dropped his wrench. Amy stumbled back. Sonic…Sonic smiled.

After blinking several times, Tails reached down and retrieved his wrench. He tried to go back to working on Tornado 2, act like nothing had happened, but he couldn't, not with Sonic and Amy standing around like nothing out of the ordinary had just occurred. Turning fully away from his plane to face Sonic, he asked, "Did you just…Did you just say _yes_?"

Sonic nodded, his eyes locked on Amy's unmoving form. He was eager for her to come out of her daze, keen on seeing her reaction.

Tails didn't know what to say, but seeing how Amy still wasn't saying _anything_, he spoke again. "But why? I thought you, well, you know…"

Sonic chuckled. "What? Hated her?"

Tails shook his head. "No, I thought you were just repulsed by the sight of her."

Enchantment lit Sonic's eyes. "No." His voice was dreamlike. "She's had me enraptured from the very first moment I laid eyes on her, so much so that it scared me."

Tails 'hmmed' and mulled this over. He rubbed his chin for a moment before saying, "Then you acted like you were disgusted by her because you were afraid?"

Sonic nodded, eyes still fastened to Amy. He shifted, growing impatient. He needed her to react. He couldn't stand seeing her frozen with delight any longer. "Amy—" he stepped forward.

With a great yelp, Amy stumbled further back. "Stay right there," she gasped. "Don't come any closer."

Tails' lips formed an "o" as he remembered something Amy had told him one afternoon. A sudden storm delayed her departure after learning that Sonic was not at his workshop. Strangely solemn that day, she told him a secret that turned the world upside down. "I don't…"

"…love you." Amy spoke now with more force. And this time, Sonic stumbled back.

"W-what," he breathed. Confusion wrenched his face in such an unflattering fashion that both Tails and Amy found themselves looking away; Tails to a window; Amy to her feet. "What do you mean you don't love me," Sonic demanded when Amy failed to answer.

Tails, feeling for the poor, shivering girl, spoke up. "You have to understand. She didn't know that you liked her. I mean, none of us ever thought that there was the slightest chance of you—"

"US!" Sonic whirled on Tails, anger contracting the muscles in his neck, back, and arms. "What was this then," he demanded. "Some sort of joke! A joke that you, she, and everyone else was in on but me?"

"No," Amy squeaked. "And don't yell at Tails. It's not his fault."

Slowly, Sonic turned back to Amy. His eyes filled with distress. "_Whose_ fault is it," he croaked.

Amy let out a shuddered breath. "Mine." Wringing her hands, she looked up at Sonic. "It's mine. You see, I…I needed the money."

"Money? What on Earth are you talking about?"

Amy bit her lower lip before continuing. "Dr. Eggman, he—"

"What's Eggman got to do with this!"

Shutting her eyes, Amy answered. "He needed someone to lure you to him. He needed," she opened her eyes and smiled tightly, "a damsel in distress." When Sonic remained silent, she continued. "He approached me, offering a large sum of money to chase you, be in your face, and constantly tell you that I loved you—because that's what damsels do, he said. He said that if I did this, you'd be sure to come rescue me whenever I was 'kidnapped.'" She swallowed loudly. "I-I thought it sounded crazy and stupid, and I didn't want to be the one to lead the world's greatest hero into danger if what he was proposing actually worked. But I—"

"Wanted the money," Sonic cut in. His voice was strangely bitter, and his eyes burned with accusations.

Amy flared up. "Don't you judge me," she yelled. "Don't you dare." Tears formed at the corners of her eyes. "You don't know what it's like to want the latest shoes but can't buy them. You don't know what it's like to want to have insane spending sprees but can't. You don't know." Tears streamed openly down her face. "You don't know."

Staring blankly at Amy, Sonic took a step toward her. Then sprinting into a run he raced passed her and out the open door.

Tails watched Sonic depart with a heavy heart. He wanted to go after him but knew better. When Sonic was ready to talk, he'd come to him. "So," he said with look to Amy. "What are you going to do now? Eggman won't need you anymore with Sonic knowing about all of this."

Amy sighed and looked skyward. "What am I going to do?" She smiled sadly. "The only thing I can do." Opening her hand she offered it to Tails. "I'm going to Disney Land. You wanna come?"

Dropping his wrench, Tails jumped into the air. "Heck yeah!" And with that, the two friends raced out the door.


End file.
